DS vomiting w/ dark circles under eyes - help

[zebaby]

DS got sick on Christmas day and has been vomiting all day today. Tonight, his eyes were developing dark circles which worried me. He's been drinking all day, however, has not been able to keep any fluids down. Is there anything I can give him to help with the vomiting / dehydration. Are the dark circles indicative of anything major or just another symptom of this stomach bug?

[PlayaMama]

has he been peeing? is his urine dark or is he lethargic?

if he isn't peeing or it's dark and he's lethargic i would take him to the er to get some fluids.

[chaoticzenmom]

Are you sure it's not food poisoning?  I thought stomache bugs were over within 24 hours or so.  I don't know about the dark circles, but it wouldn't hurt to call into a nurse-line or something and ask.  Does your pediatrician have a call center that screens off-hour calls?

[zebaby]

I've called her twice but not for the dark circles. She seemed to think that he had been progressing normally. 

He peed twice today, normal color and amount (thank goodness), just not as frequent as normally.

He has been lethargic, resting all day. It's very sad to watch him be this sick and not be able to do anything. I have some nux vomica homeopathic tabs that I thought to give him; now it will have to be in the morning. I can take him to an open clinic tomorrow between 8-10, but I'll be pissed off if I had to drag him out in his condition and they just tell me to keep him hydrated. If he looks / acts worse in the morning, I will definitely take him to the er for fluids. 

[Llyra]

Not all stomach bugs are over quickly. There are different viruses-- noroviruses tend to run their course in 24 to 48 hours, but rotavirus (more common in small children) can hang on for a long time. A child's first few bouts of rotavirus are often rough-- the vomiting can last several days, and the diarrhea might hang on for two weeks.

The dark circles wouldn't worry me. My kids get those when they're exhausted-- and all that vomiting would make any one exhausted. These GI things are almost always self-limiting, and rest is the best thing for him. FWIW, though, when they say to bring them in if they're lethargic, they mean a more dramatic kind of lethargy-- the medical definition is a child who is so sluggish that they will not rouse enough to lift their heads and talk to you. So if you brought a wrapped birthday gift into the room, a lethargic child is the one who won't even sit up to see what's inside. That's the kind of lethargy that's really worrisome.

If I were you, OP, I'd give it some time. Let him have his fluids in whatever way is easiest for him-- popsicles and ice chips come to mind. People get very down on pedialyte, for the artificial ingredients, but it is better than plain water at restoring the electrolyte balance-- I use it freely when we need it. He's four, right? What about some pedialyte?

[tanyalynn]

There's a difference between listless and lethargic.  My kids sometimes get listless--they just want to lie around, they may nap more frequently, they'll just watch TV or listen to stories or whatever for most of the day.  Lethargic is beyond that, as the PP said.

I'd just watch for signs of dehydration, and try to prevent that either with small sips, maybe a teaspoon at a time, of water or breastmilk or an oral rehydration drink or homemade broth--use what seems appropriate.  The dark circles, themselves, to me would just mean that kiddo's sick, nothing more ominous, though like you're doing, I'd watch his overall progress and try to head off potential problems. 

[coyotemist]

What I was told when my middle child was small and constantly sick was 1 tsp of liquid every 15 minutes.  They can usually keep down a teaspoonful.  I'd use a medicine syringe. 

If his mouth is dry, he isn't making tears or urine, or he seems floppy (or your mommy instinct just says something is wrong) take him in! 

[zebaby]

*sigh* It's so agonizing watching him suffer. Today, he only vomited about twice (after solids). Better than yesterday when he vomited after any liquids. As far as lethargy, I guess he's not quite at the medical definition, but pretty close. Today he seemed much better after sleep (chatting, laughing, playing with toys) but would get very listless (would rather be carried or lying down doing nothing) after about 30 minutes of conversation / quiet play. 

His dehydration has decreased - dark circles have faded, skin returned to a more elastic state, lips seem to be less chapped, and he has peed more today as well. He did cry once and had a normal amount of tears. He's keeping down fluids and drinking a fair amount. He asked for food today, but only managed to eat a couple of pita chips, a saltine, and a little bit of brownie (thanks papa!). 

One new symptom he had today was that his mouth hurt / teeth hurt. I'm assuming he means that his throat was dry and hurt from vomiting so much?? I know our teeth tend to hurt when we're ill, so I'm guessing that's related? I don't know what to make of it. He would lay in bed and moan, however when I asked him if his tummy hurt he said no. I feel completely useless. Thank you all for your suggestions and support. 

[zebaby]

He's doing much better today. He slept a TON yesterday which, I think, helped. Today he's chatty, commenting on the shows he's watching, picking up new toys he got for Christmas, overall, more active than the last two days. He actually ate a bit today as well. I am feeling relieved! It must have been rotovirus as the PP mentioned. Two stomach bugs in one month - I hope I don't see one for quite a while! Thanks for all your help mamas